Lt Sakon Krainara of the Phuket City Police received a report of an accident in front of the Koh Kaew branch of 7-Eleven on Thepkrassattri Rd (northbound) from a local resident at 1am.
Lt Sakon arrived at the scene with Kusoldharm rescue workers and medical staff from Mission Phuket Hospital to find a Phuket-registered white Toyota mini-van crashed into the back of a Phuket-registered tour bus belonging to the Phuket Nakhon Service.
There were two injured parties inside the mini-van, the driver, Mr Khitthisak Phen-Ngern, 35 from Phuket, and an unnamed female passenger.
Rescue workers had to free Mr Khitthisak using hydraulic cutters before taking him to Vachira Phuket Hospital.
A rescue worker who attended the scene said, “The van driver had chest injures and a female passenger has several serious injures. Her pulse was very slow so we immediately took her to hospital.”
Lt Sakon added, “The bus driver told us that he was heading to Phuket International Airport to pick up tourists. He parked the bus at the 7-Eleven store to buy a drink and the engine was still running. Then the mini-van crashed into the back of his vehicle.
“At this stage we believe the van driver fell asleep at the wheel. However we will investigate the incident,” Lt Sakon said.